Apparatus for generating sulfur dioxid.



No. 700,537. Patented May 20, I902. I 0. MOORE & F. m. MARTIN.

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING SULFUR nloxln'. v A licatimi filed. m 2'2, 1001. (lfo Modl.) Q

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UNITE STATES PATENT O F E;

JOHN D. MOORE, on NEW ORK, AND FRE M. MARTIN, org nnooKLvu, NEW YORIQUSAIDF MOORE ASSIGNORV TO "THE CLAYTON FIRE EXTIN- GUISHINGj&'- DISINFEQTTNG COMPANY, j A 'ooRPoRA mou OF WEST VIR- GINIA.

AP A- Tusfr-o R g G E ERATI N o' SU'LFU R 'Dlo jxl D;

- SJPEGIFICATIQN rer ie m of Letters Patent No. 700,537, dated May 20, 1902;

j Application filed May 22,1901. Serial no, 61,3421 (No model.)

To all iuhom it I Be it known that We; JOHN D. MOORE, of the borough of Mauhattam-irrthecity and county of NewYork, andF-REDM. MAnrI'N, f the borough of Brookly-n,y ini-the county of King's, in

the city and srapeg rg vew York, citizens of the United states-haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Generating,Sulfur-Dioxid Gas, of which the '10 following is specification, reference being ing a part of the same? I The invention subject to our present application is an improvem'entin the general class a 5 of generating apparatus described in the patents to Thomas A. Clayton, N 0. 633,807,, dated September 26, 1899, and No. 661,496, dated had to the drawingsaccompanying and form- November 13, 1 900, and, like that of thesa'id;

patents, is designed to generate ga'sfsuitable go for purposes of fumigating, preventing or ext-inguishing fires in closed compartments,

- such as the holds of ships and the compartments of warehouses, 'or'for' other and similar purposes forwhich such a gas is .us'efn'l. e 5 The improvements havejfortheir primary object the provision ot'qan'apparatus capable of more rapidlyobtainingaj strong gas and maintaining and controlling its strength in large quantities fora'ny considerable period of time,'and in A lve certain novel features in the constructi u and operation of suchap- Fparat-ns, whichjwill be ,described'in detail b'y whichreference to the accompanyingdrawings,-i u

and cooler being shown in horizontalsection;

' metal or suitablerefractoryj-materials, provided with a door B, throughwhich the gas-- 1 s e at ngm te i s int u ed andrwhich 14,5 maybe tightly closed, and with oneor more outlets and intake pipes or passages, as here-t inafter des'cribed llhe generator is surr'ounded,preferably' on top, sides, bottom, and ends, as far as practicable with a wrapping of asbestos, mineral wool, or other suitable adiathermanous material C, or is otherwise Figure 1 is a view ofrourimprovedgenerator, a controller, a cooler, and pump or blower connected in operativefrelation, the generator tainingperforations E,pre ferably in the tops and sides only,as shown, and above said'pipes thereis arranged a foraminous support F for the substances used for, the generation of gas. The construction and arrangement of this sup- 1 port maybe greatlyvaried,the drawings show .60

mg for purposes of illustration ashelfor parti .tion of ordinarynwiIre-netting. I g The device for coolingfthe gases is repre sented at R and consistsof areceptacle having two chambers; at its opposite'ends connected by a seriesof pipes, around which air, s water, or other 'coolingmedium is caused to circulatein the usual'way, the inletand out-j flet pipesfor the'coolingjmedium beingdesig- Inated by T T. From the ,cooler R apipe U 70.

leads to th i t e a fa ter-b owe V- I In connection with 'ftuelaeneraton there is e pl y d ai t olle'r, consistingofvalves for l commanding thejnletj andoutlet to a cham her or chambers, by the operation] of which7'5 Ithefair, and gases passing to and fromthe generator; are :regulated;; but inasmuch as these, parts are or may-beofan'y suitablecon- 'struction and wjllflbe more, readily understood by a statement-oi; their function than g x by a1detailedfreferehce tothei rspecific characterflor form they will be 'described inconnection with the f o1l( wi ng Q exposition of the}- per -i i m n er. ofujs ug" the appa a us as'a wholeflw a I I Let it be, assumed that ajgas, such as sulfur, by th'elcombustionofvwhich"thelgaslis' produced; is placed in the bottomof the gen: {g'o v-eratorand on the perforatedfs upppfl aE and ignited byintroducing beneaththe perfi Iat'ed 1 f support-a handfulofbur'ning'wastesaturated: wi thoil QrptherinfiammabIe substances,The generatoris, then-closed,;by;thetdoor-B;' At f thesame time the'fan or blower. V isstarted 1 1 and communication established gfrom the out-g side air tothegenerator by closing'the valve a J, andopening the valve H, thesevalves be; 'ing on a common spindleand operated by a',-ro'o lever O. The valves '1 and G are opened by] the hand wheel Q, which simultaneously.

closes the valve N, these valves also being mounted on a common spindle. The course of the air is now through valves H and G and passage Y to the perforated pipes D, which distribute it over the burning sulfur, forming sulfur-dioxid gas, which is sucked through the passage M, valve P, to and through the cooler, and thence to the fan or blower, and is delivered through the pipe W. This operation, if continued, would lead to the pro duction of flowers of sulfur in the pipes and valves, as the increase in temperature of the molten sulfur and generator volatilizes more sulfur than the supply of oxygen entering the generator with the atmospheric air can change to sulfur-dioxid gas. In order to obviate this condition, the valve N is partially opened, thus dividing the current of air coming through the valve H, so that a portion of it passing through the chamber L unites with the hot gases and uncombined sulfur-vapor coming from the generator through the passage M, and thus eliminates the flowers of sulfur. It has been found that the valves N and G may be so operated by the hand-wheel Q that all traces of flowers of sulfur disappear and that the strength of sulfur-dioxid gas in the gaseous mixture leaving the controller may be regulated to a fraction of one per cent.

If it be desired to deliver atmospheric air through the pipe W, valvesP and G are closed, thus cutting out the generator, and all the air entering through the valve H passes through the valve N and the passage L to the cooler and blower.

The object of the passage K and valve J is as follows: When this generator is used in the system of fumigation and fire-extinguishing, as covered by these patents of Thomas A. Clayton, above alluded to, the pipes W and K are connected, to a closed compartment.

' oxid gas, the combination with a generator of In this case the air or gases in the closed compartment may be returned to the generator through the passage K and valve J, either to the gas-generating receptacle A or through the valve N and passage L to the cooler and blower and the pipe W to the compartment. The object attained by passing these gases through the receptacle and over the molten sulfur contained therein is the changing of the oxygen in them to sulfur-dioxid gas. Our object in conducting these gases through the valve N and passage L and through the cooler is to lower their temperature, and consequently the temperature of the inclosed compartment.

The special purpose of the foraminous support F in the generator is to enable us to distribute a large amount of sulfur in a comparatively finely divided condition and by means of the perforated pipes D to effect its combustionin a very short time. By this means we are enabled to generate a large volume of gas very quickly. It will be understood that the ignition of the sulfur may be effected in any other way than by introducing ignited combustibles into the generator. For example, the plan heretofore followed byusing the receptacle A as a retort and heating it externally may be adopted, but less advantageously.

A specific advantage is secured in protecting the generator by an adiathermanous covering. It will be understood that the combustion of the sulfur raises the interior of the generator to a high temperature, and We have found that if this heat is not permitted to radiate off gases containing a small amount of sulfur dioxid when passed through the generator are increased in strength for considerable periods of time.

Having now described our invention, what we claim is- I 1. In an apparatus for generating sulfur-dioxid gas, the combination with a generator in which the gas is produced by the action of air on a suitable substance in a heated state, of a system of outgoing and intake pipes, a valve in the intake-pipe for controlling the passage through the same,and a second valve, in operative connection therewith, for simultaneously controlling the admission of outside air into the intake, and a pump connected with the system of pipes, as set forth.

2. In an apparatus for generating sulfur-dioxid gas, the combination with a generator in which the gas is produced by the action of air on a suitable substance in aheated state, of outgoing and intake pipes connected by a pipe or passage forming a by-pass, a valve mechanism for simultaneously controlling the passage through the intake-pipe and the admission of outside air thereto, and a second valve mechanism for simultaneously controlling the passage through the outgoing pipe and the by-pass connection of the intake-pipe therewith, as set forth.

3. In an apparatus forgeneratingsulfur-dithe kind described,outgoing and intake pipes, a by-pass connection between the same, a valve adapted to simultaneously close the inlet and outlet of the generator and open commu nication through the by-pass, a cooling device in the circuit of said pipes, and means for maintaining a circulation of gas through the same, as set forth.

4. In an apparatus for generating sulfur-dioxid gas, the combination with a generator consisting of a receptacle for containing the substance to be burned, and having inlet and outlet pipes for the circulation of air and gas through the same, the receptacle being surrounded and protected byan adiathermanous covering to prevent the radiation of'heat, a by-pass connection between the inlet and outlet pipes, and means for maintaining a circulation of gas through the circuit of said pipes as set forth.

JOHN D. MOORE. FRED M. MARTIN. Witnesses:

M. LAwsoN Dyna, BENJAMIN MILLER. 

